Made for Each Other
by cgaussie
Summary: WiltEduardo Revelations : Personal walls are felled for both Wilt and Eduardo, when true feelings come to the surface. COMPLETE
1. Found

**Made for Each Other  
**Co-written with: A'Phrionnsa Fala****

Written: March 2006  
**Fandom:** Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends  
**Rating:** K+  
**Genre: **Romance, Drama  
**Pairing (s): **Wilt/Eduardo  
**Warnings: **This story will eventually tread into adult waters, but for now, and for 60+ or so pages things remain pretty clean. But for now, tis all clean.

**Plot: **Wilt happens upon a weeping Hispanic Imaginary Friend after a sudden downpour, and we see just how Eduardo came to settle in Foster's.

**Spoilers: **None.

**Disclaimers: **Wilt, Eduardo, and the characters in this story belong to Craig McCracken. Hopefully he won't happen upon this. Yeek.

**Story Notes: **We've (myself and A'Phrionnsa Fala) have tried to keep some continuity going. This story takes place a good few months before Bloo graced Foster's with his presence.

**Chapter One: **Seeking Shelter

The rain's had finally ended - it had felt like a good week and a half had been wasted due to a sudden rain storm arriving in town and not deciding to move on until it had drenched everything. The sun was finally out now, very few clouds hung in the air as it tried to dry up all the rain puddles left over. And enter Wilt, out to do his usual job of trying to help out new friends! Wilt strides along the sidewalk, paying puddles no mind. He actually does not mind rain, or its afters, in the slightest. It's snow that prods his memory. There was snow on the ground that night... a sudden sound stirs him from his thoughts before they can wander into potentially bad places... a large shape darts into an alley a short ways ahead. Curious, he goes to it. "Hello? Someone there?"

There's no answer, well. No verbal answer - there was someone all right. Someone very large, and very wet. Whatever he was, he was desperately trying to find someplace dry and safe. He'd been out in the rain all this time, the thunder and lightning shaking him to the core. The sight that did meet Wilt was the creature half climbing into one of those large garbage bins, his forked tail and lower half hanging out while his other half was well hidden. Wilt's voice caused him to freeze; afraid if he moved whatever it was would get him. Wilt peers into the alley with slight trepidation. Alleys are also an unhappy facet of certain unhappy memories. He sees a most unusual sight too - what appears to be a massive, violet sheepdog, soaking wet and attempting to climb into a rubbish bin. Curiosity overrides fear and he very gingerly calls out too the strange thing.

"Um, hey? Are you okay?" 

He moved pretty quickly, and in an instant the lid slammed shut on the bin. A few seconds pass before the lid is very slowly, very cautiously pushed open. All that's visible at first is a pair of very big horns, soon followed by part of a face. A unibrow laid across his very large eyes - obviously showing fear. He stares at Wilt for a while before he finally managed to force words out from his mouth. "H... H... Ho.. hola..." said a very gruff voice, dripping with the same kind of fear that showed in his eyes.

"Well, hi!" Wilt said cheerfully, lifting his one hand in a cheery wave. Although his big, trademark smile comes out, the fear in Eduardo's eyes is clear as day. Wilt had learnt to ignore the stares his scars, missing arm and mangled eye had garnered him. However, he'd couldn't ever remember seeing someone looking so openly and genuinely terrified of him. It was a trifle alarming, but even if this guy was piss-scared of him, he needed help. And Wilt was nothing if not helpful. It was what he lived for. "Hey now, it's okay. You don't need to be scared of me. I'm a friend." he was stared at for a while longer, before the horned creature ducked down further back. His large horns were the only things visible of him now.

"Is... is not you." he had a very thick Hispanic accent, and English was obviously not his first language. "H... has the... the loud banging finished...?" he was referring to the terrible storm. He hadn't slept for that long, not that he wasn't sleeping before that, either.

"Loud... banging?" Wilt is puzzled for a moment, but at the same time a trifle relieved. "Oh you mean the thunder! Yes, the storm's over. Why don't you come out of there? That bin's got to be stinky. It's bound to be absolute murder on all that fur of yours." Wilt smiles and laughs a bit to himself, trying to lighten the mood. When the stranger hesitates, Wilt slowly extends his hand toward the bin, taking care not to spook him with sudden movements. "...it's all right."

He did pull away slowly, but not entirely. This… this was the first... Imaginary Friend he'd seen. Not like the humans he'd seen, who had ran away as soon as they saw him in fright while all he wanted as help. Very slowly does he stand up fully in the garbage pin, pushing the lid with one hand. "...s...sí... muy.. stinky..." he agreed quietly, before his other hand went to the side of the bin and he began climbing out. Wilt withdraws his hand, seeing as the other guy is not going to take it. He doesn't take it personally, however as he watches him climbing out of the bin. He hadn't realised how very BIG this guy was and he probably couldn't have helped him out of that bin even if he'd needed it. Once he's out of the bin and peering up at Wilt with wide, uncertain eyes, Wilt finds his tongue.

"Hey, you're soaking wet. You don't look so good... sorry! Didn't mean that to hurt your feelings or anything, but how long have you been out here like this?" 

Those large eyes blinked a few times, processing the question. English was... difficult. He put a hoofed hand to his large mouth, thinking for a while. "Uh... how... how to say... Viernes..." he snapped his hooves somehow. "Friday!" he looked a little bit proud of himself he worked out what day of the week he was talking about. "...last week." he added as an afterthought. Wilt blinked in astonishment.

"Last wee-! But... where is your kid?"

The question caused the heavy head to lower, as did his eyes. He hiccuped a bit, before breaking down in a flood of tears Wilt was probably not expecting. His hoofed hands went to his eyes as he bawled loudly. He was meant to protect her, he was meant to _be there_ for her - the memories still terrified him, even after an entire week. They probably were going to for a long time, given how he's reacting even now. Wilt was taken aback as the big, tough-looking Imaginary Friend, who looked strong enough to hurl a bus across a rugby field, breaked out into a hysterical chain of sobs and tears. Once the initial surprise ebbs away, Wilt felt a rare rise of anger inside him. The tears and lack of an answer could only mean one thing... Wilt had seen many a sad story under the roof of his home at Foster's and it always saddened and angered him how easily some humans could just dispose of their friends. His hand curled into a fist. "Aw man. I'm sorry, but that is NOT okay. Some kids are so... mean. Dropping their friends like that! I wonder if they treat their human friends-" Wilt is cut off as Eduardo sobs even louder and gestures wildly, trying to speak clearly. He managed to control the sobs raising in his throat, a good thing since his chest was beginning to hurt. He had cried so much in such a short amount of time, and he was beginning to make himself feel sick. Coughing a bit, he shook his head.

"Is not l-l-like that, s-señor...?" he managed to cough out before roughly wiping at his nose and eyes with his already sopping wet furry arm. But he could barely say it himself, let alone explain it to such a nice man like this señor - actually being nice to him when so many people hadn't. Wilt blinked. He knew all too well that it wasn't uncommon for Imaginary Friends to blame themselves for the departure of their kids, but somehow, he could sense that this guy was telling the truth. He had been abandoned, but it hadn't been on purpose or out of cruelty. He was a victim of circumstance. Suddenly remembering that the guy had trailed off, he restored his friendly smile.

"Wilt. Just Wilt. What's yours?"

"Ed-Eduardo..." Eduardo sniffled, realising he hadn't said his name before. "Perdón, p-perdón." he apologised for not saying his name, nodding his head a few times. He coughed again, a mixture of being out in the thunderstorm for a week, and crying had done murder to not just his fur but his chest as well. "Sh... she..." he's not even sure how to say it, what happened so fast even he wasn't sure and that upset him even more, not understanding what happened even before his own eyes. "No... no wake up..." he managed to verbalise that much, at least. Wilt's smile shifts subtly into a look of concern.

"Aw man, you sound a little sick. And hey, I'm sorry for wigging out on you. I didn't realise. But you shouldn't worry about it now. Right now, you should worry about getting to someplace where you can dry off and get warmed up. Lucky, I know the perfect place and I can take you there. Is that okay?"

"Som.. someplace...?" Eduardo asked, tilting his head like a confused lost puppy. Could he accept this offer from someone he hardly knew? He shivered a bit, thinking this over. All he wanted was help all the past week, and no one helped him at all. And here is señor Wilt, offering him a place to dry off. He eyed Wilt a tad suspiciously, even if he didn't mean to come across like that. A slow smile spread across his face, showing off those massive teeth of his off even more, if that was possible. "S... sí... Eduardo like that idea..."

Feeling that cool rise of satisfaction, that natural high that came to him from helping others, Wilt smiles even more widely than before. "Great! It's just up the road. Just stay close and we'll there in no time. Eduardo." he adds the name on as an afterthought, offering Ed a sincere and welcoming smile. "I just know you're gonna love it. Trust me." 

The walk really wasn't that long, it just took a bit longer since poor Eduardo was jumping at almost everything he saw. At a falling leaf that was weighed down by heavy water, a dog barking from inside it's apartment and especially so whenever a car would drive past. But finally the two stood before the very welcoming looking Foster's House for Imaginary Friends. Eduardo tilted his head as he looked at it, before rubbing his nose. He looked up at Wilt, before pointing.

"Is that it?" he asked. Wilt nodded and pushed the magnificent, wrought-iron gate open

"Home sweet h-" before he could get the rest of the word out, an enormous black lorry roared past behind them. One loud bellow of terror and a terrifying rush later, Wilt found himself on the sidewalk The shock of it all left his heart pounding madly, his breath coming in short gasps. The concrete was wet beneath him and moisture clung to him as he braced himself up on his one elbow. He looked up to find himself eclipsed by the bigger friend, who appeared to be attempting to shield him from... something. Speaking abilities returning to him, he spoke slowly and carefully. "Eduardo... ?"

Eduardo was panting heavily, snorting through his nose, even steam seemed to be being expelled from his nostrils like smoke from a train's pipe. He was partially aware of what had just happened, that familiar sound perked his ears mere seconds before. It almost transported him back to when the horrible event happened, he had heard it then but hadn't comprehended it fast enough. But instinctively he had knocked Wilt down to the floor, spinning around and baring his fangs as bravely as he could at the lorry that had just rushed past them. He stayed, transfixed to the spot and glaring at where the lorry had vanished - almost daring it to try and come back and try to hurt Wilt. But hearing his voice snapped him back to here and now, he blinked and looked down at him. He rose his one eyebrow. "Señor Wilt!" he cried, seeing him down on the ground like that! Did he do that? "I sorry, I so sorry!" he wasn't even sure if he should apologise, but he gripped Wilt by his only hand trying to help the taller friend to his feet. Wilt allowed himself to be pulled back into an upright position, still a bit shaken, but better off now that the initial surprise has cleared all of his circuits.

"That's okay. Just surprised me is all…" he offered Eduardo an encouraging and knowing smile "I just have to ask. You're a Guardian Friend, aren't you?" 

Eduardo smiled brightly, nodding. "Sí, sí! Amigo del guarda!" he declared in Spanish, which basically translated to 'guardian friend'. He dusted at Wilt's socks, spotting a spot that had some dirt on now because he knocked him down like that. "Perdóneme por favor, señor Wilt..." he mumbled as he did. Oh he was just making a mess no matter what he did, didn't he? He cautiously glanced over his shoulder either way, checking if the lorry was coming back or not. Wilt just smiled, feeling a bit bad. He didn't know a word of Spanish, but he recognised the behaviour of a Guardian Friend; powerful protective instincts, fussing over every little thing. Though his hyper-active fear of the world round him caused Wilt some concern, he was happy to brush that aside for now.

"Hey, I think it's cool!"

"Cool?" Eduardo echoed, tilting his head a bit again. What did that mean? He processed it quickly, before walking around Wilt slowly. "Sí, the weather, she is cool." he agreed, guessing that is what Wilt meant.

Wilt blinked, confused for only a moment before he remembered the consequences of charging headlong into a language barrier. A grin spread across his face. "Yeh, it is. But this weather isn't so nice for you if you're already coughing and stuff. Let's get you inside now, okay?"

"Sí!" Eduardo clapped his hoofed hands together in excitement. He was still brand new to the American way of life, having only arrived only a month before with his creator and her family. Quite pleased was he that he'd understood what Wilt was talking about without making a fool out of himself.

To be continued. . .


	2. New House

**Made for Each Other  
**Co-written with: A'Phrionnsa Fala

With that, Wilt led Eduardo inside. There he promptly fetched the big guy some towels, helped him dry off and introduced him to Frankie, who was doing dishes in the kitchen. After formal "hello"s and "is that so"s are exchanged, Frankie comments, "Right, well, I'd give you the tour, but I'm covered in suds."

Thus, Wilt takes over and starts down the main corridor with Eduardo. "So, this is the first floor. Basically anything food-related and laundry-related happens here. Dinner's at 7.00, breakfast is 7.00 till 9.00, and lunch is at noon." speaking of food, he stops suddenly at the door of the pantry "Hey, how long _has_ it been since you last ate, anyway?"

Eduardo's stomach answered for him. It growled so loudly; it caused a few friends to stop what they were doing and glances around - wondering if a lion had arrived. He blushed a bit, putting his hands to his stomach and laughed nervously. "Uh... not for long while..." how embarrassing. Wilt nodded.

"Hmm, well do you want a sit down and a bite to eat before we see the rest of the house? I can ask Frankie to make you a nice, hot cup of tea."

"Sí sí! Por favor!" Eduardo almost gushed; the only food he _had_ eaten was from the garbage. And that was mostly bad for him, so combine an empty stomach with a thunderstorm made for some bad moments. "Por favor!"

Tempted as he was to give Eduardo a sympathetic pat on the back, Wilt didn't. He knew how degrading pity could be. Rather, he got right on the matter of food. A few moments later, the two of them were sat down at the enormous dining room table by themselves. Wilt watched Eduardo all but inhale an entire microwaveable chicken potpies between sips of tea. Wilt watches him with interest over the rim of his own cup. "I think you'll really like it here. It all may seem a bit strange and fast at first, but it's really a great place. It'll feel like home in no time, you'll see."

Eduardo paused, mid gulp from his cup of tea. He lowered the cup as delicately as he could - it was obvious he had played teatime a lot in the past. "So... so we all live here?" he wasn't really sure of how the whole house worked - they weren't just stopping by, but they lived here? Like how he lived with his creator? Wilt lowered his cup to the table, immediately sensing what Eduardo was getting at.

"Well, yes and no... see, Foster's is a foster home... we live here, but only until we're adopted. Kids who want Imaginary Friends come by here all the time." he smiled, tipping his cup at a jaunty angle "Hey, don't worry though. You're pretty awesome. You'll probably get adopted right away and go home with a new kid in no time." Wilt had intended this to be a comfort, but one look at Eduardo's face told him his efforts had not had the desired effect.

"New-new kid?" the idea shocked Eduardo to the very core. How could he just so easily move from her onto someone else? He'd probably fail that child too, the same way he did her. What if he's cursed? Maybe every child he ends up with will end up not waking up like she did, and the idea alone brought tears to Eduardo's eyes pretty quickly. He sobbed a bit, before he covered his eyes as they streamed down his face into his fur, which was just now beginning to dry. "No! No no no..!" he sobbed into his hands and shook his head. Guilt striking him like a dart, Wilt put his cup down and reached across the table, his long arm extending till his hand found Eduardo's shoulder. Comfort was not the same as pity and it was his duty to clean up the mess he'd made.

"I'm sorry, I'm _so_ sorry. That probably wasn't the best thing to say," he leaned out over the table, bringing himself closer when Eduardo just sobbed harder "Aww, don't cry, Ed... can I call you Ed? Anyway, it'll be all right. It's hard at first, believe me, I know. But you'll be okay, I promise. It'll all be okay..." at this point, Wilt has actually crawled onto the tabletop to get closer to Eduardo, trying desperately to reassure the poor guy. Eduardo meanwhile, finally looks up and sees that Wilt is actually sitting right on the table. For some reason, this is very funny. A smile twitched at the corner of his face, seeing such a long limbed creature like Wilt sat on the table like this. It _was_ funny, at least to such a stubby legged fellow Eduardo was compared to Wilt. The smile successfully conquered his face and he smiled, then laughed a bit. He shook his head, shutting his eyes so he'd stop. This probably insulted Wilt, and that was the last thing he wanted to do after all he had done to him was being so nice to him. Finally the bout of giggles subsided, and he wiped his face absently.

"I sorry Wilt... Eduardo cry too easy today..." he hiccoughed, before smiling up at Wilt despite the few tears still caught in his large eyes. "Señor Wilt-" he began, forgetting being told to call him plain old 'Wilt' earlier "Eduardo so grateful, really really am. You is so nice to me..."

"Hey it's okay." Wilt was just happy to see him not crying anymore and felt a swell of accomplishment and flattery at his words, "Look, you've had a long day. Why don't we get you settled into a room and save the rest of the tour for later?"

Eduardo nodded his head, very agreeable now. He felt a lot better now he had something in his stomach, and his fur was no longer wet and heavy. Wilt lead him along a long hallway lined with doors - doors of all sizes for the different sized Imaginary Friends that filled Foster's. But with each check, someone occupied the rooms. After an hour of searching or so, Eduardo sighed. "Is okay Wilt, maybe I sleep on couch?" he offered. Wilt smiled.

"Sure, if you want. But as it happens, my roommate was just adopted last week and the bunk above mine is free. We'll want to run the sheets through the wash first, though. My roommate was named Manky Moe for a very good reason." Wilt wrinkled his would-be nose, "But yeah, you can room with me and my other roommate Coco if you want. That is, unless you're sick of me already." he smiled beatifically. Eduardo looked shocked at that statement.

"What? No! I never being sick of Wilt, never!" he persuaded Wilt, even if he didn't need it. Wow, first he finds him, takes him to this wonderful home full of Imaginary Friends like himself and now even offering him to sleep in the same room! He felt like crying, but he had a little more self-control now. Luckily. Wilt laughed humbly.

"Well, that's good to know. Anyway, my room's on the third floor. We'll get you settled and you can take a shower, then call it a night if you want." Eduardo happily followed Wilt up the stairs. Wilt got fresh linens from the closet and carried them to the room. "Well, here we are! If you want to chill for a sec, I'll just get your bed made up, then I'll show you where the bathroom is, okay?" he goes about doing this while Eduardo looks round the room, taking in the nest situated in the corner, the set of bunks on the far side, the antique dresser, etc. Eduardo looked out the window, he could see the street stretched out before him and the sun visible far away already beginning to set. Dear me, was the day almost over with already? He didn't remember it passing so fast, and shook his head. Eduardo glanced over his shoulder at Wilt, who was now putting the new bottom sheet on the top mattress of the bunk bed. Narrowing his eyes a bit he saw just how tall Wilt was, compared to the bed.

"...where you sleep, Wilt?" he asked, surely he didn't sleep in that nest, and if he slept on that small bed his limbs must hurt in the mornings. Wilt blinked. He should have thought that would be quite obvious.

"Well, I sleep on the bottom bunk. Coco has the nest over there. Why d'you ask?"

"Your bunk so small!" Eduardo pointed out. "...and you not." as in height wise. Wilt shrugged,

"Well, it is a little snug, but you get used to it. I've been here for a long time, so it doesn't really bother me anymore."

Ed paused, wondering if he should ask just how long Wilt had been here, or not. Eduardo decided not to, not now anyway.

"Oh, I see." he nodded, not really seeing it but wasn't sure what else to say and didn't want to come across as an idiot. Wilt read worry in Eduardo's tone and waved his hand dismissively.

"Oh no, no, no, you don't have anything to worry about. I've just been here for a while because, well, kids don't really want a broken friend." he shrugged, maintaining a causal tone. "And hey, I know it sounds kind of awful now, but it'll get better. Guardian Friends are always adopted off really quickly. You'll see, the perfect kid will come round and want to take you home really soon, trust me. You're great." he grinned bracingly and gave his new friend a pat on the back.

"Mmmmfhmm." Eduardo grunted, still unsure about this whole 'going home with a new kid' idea. He was such a big, scary looking thing - he knew that, and he saw how many children had run screaming once they spotted him during the thunderstorm when they were getting off a bus, or walking in the rain with a parent. American children were weird - children back where he came from loved what he looked like, saying he reminded them of bulls. Or even a minotaur, and what a compliment _that_ was. His thoughts were getting away from him again, and he shook his head to clear it. "I not be sad if I no go fast, though." he told Wilt, staring out the window again. "...I like it here."

"Well, great!" Wilt finished tucking the sheets under the mattress, "Hey, it really is an awesome place. And if you ever have any problems or just need someone to talk to, just ask me. Really, I've seen it all." he dropped Eduardo a wink and went over to the closet, in search of a fresh set of towels. Eduardo could easily believe that statement, had been good, and had managed to not stare at the scars that Wilt had. Or how one of his eyes didn't work very well, or the missing limb. Despite all of that, Wilt was probably one of the most happy fellows Eduardo had ever met, and that did confuse him a bit. But asking such a question as to how those happened was rude, he knew that. Just like how his creator told him no to stare at her uncle's wonky eye. And that was one wonky eye for a human.

To be continued…


	3. Nightmares

**Made for Each Other  
**Co-written with: A'Phrionnsa Fala

"Coco sleeps there?" he asked, pointing to the nest in a box. What kind of a friend slept in a box? As if on cue, the two Imaginary Friends were then joined by the strangest-looking... Eduardo wasn't sure whether to classify her as a creature or a contraption. She appeared to be part machine, part palm tree and part tropical bird. Whatever she was, he was not prepared to turn round and end up face-to face with her. With a yelp, he leapt back.

"Don't be scared, Ed!" Wilt laughed "This is Coco! She's my other roommate!"

"Co co!" Coco declared, staring at Eduardo. So the rumours _were_ true, there was another friend new to the house! Eduardo could have easily leapt out the window at her sudden appearance, and screech. He covered his head, shivering a bit. This was the last thing he expected, and lifted an arm to glance at her. "Co co co?" she asked, tilting her head a bit at him.

"H...H.. Ho..hola..." Eduardo stammered, still taken by surprise by her sudden arrival.

"Co co co coco co!" Coco declared, her eyes rapidly surveying Eduardo. Wilt was about to translate for her, but no sooner had he opened his mouth, when she thrust her head forward and nibbled, duck-like at his fur. He nearly jumped clear out of his shorts when she did that. Wilt laughed a bit, but again, before he could speak, she burst out, "Co CO!" and promptly laid a large, lime-green plastic egg. Wilt noticed Eduardo's confused expression.

"She lays these really cool eggs when she gets excited. Go ahead and open it up." Eduardo very slowly lifted the egg, and clicks it opens and out pops a set of fresh towels. Wilt laughed, "Heh heh, I didn't want to tell you, Ed, but Coco says you don't smell too fabulous. You could use a shower." Eduardo eyed the bizarre bird creature for a while, still a little too startled to make any sudden movements. He blinked a few times, and glanced up at Wilt.

"Smell... so I need bath?" Wilt shrugged hoping he hadn't dealt any insults.

"Well, you have been out on the street and in the rain. And I need to show you where the bathroom is and give you your toothbrush anyway. How about it?"

"Sí, sí..." he nodded a bit, he knew he smelt a bit. His fur was a total mess, something he was _not_ happy about at all. He used to spend so much time tending to his fur with brushes and combs. One time his creator even put clips in his fur for his Creation Day. Eduardo sniffles a bit at the memory, but rubs his nose harshly. "Gracias."

"Sure thing! Just bring your towels and follow me."

With Ed in tow, Wilt starts down the hallway. A few doors later, they find the bathroom, where there are long rows of sinks and several showering stalls and a large cupboard against the wall. Wilt goes to the cupboard and pulls a toothbrush out of the jar on top of it. "Heh heh, mostly guys live on this floor. Sorry, all that's left is pink." Eduardo grinned widely as Wilt handed him the brush.

"Oh, is no problem! I like pink!" he was certainly very different from what you'd expect, isn't he? The little pink brush probably won't last long against such massive teeth, but he'll make the most of it. Wilt stared for a moment in response to the bit about liking pink, wondering if he's serious. He chuckled.

"You're a good sport, Ed." he gestured toward the far side of the bathroom, "Showers are over there. Aaaand..." he opened the cabinet to reveal shelf upon shelf of soaps, shampoos and conditioners of all kinds Soon enough Ed had his arms full of shampoo, soap, conditioner, a back scrubber and of course his tooth brush. He glanced at the many shower stalls, honestly he had never bathed in one of those before.

"Uh... no bath?" he asked, since he usually bathed in a big tub full of lovely scented bubbles that tickled his nose. He loved bath time, especially when his fur would get all poofy afterwards. Not like he _couldn't_ shower, but his first preference was a bath. Wilt blinked, surprised.

"Oh, I sorry. There is a private bathroom with a tub at the end of the hall, but Duchess has taken to guarding it." Wilt looked from side to side as if making sure she couldn't hear him, "Duchess is a pedigree Imaginary Friend. She really doesn't like other people touching her things and if she catches you in her bathroom, she'll make sure you regret it. Believe me I know."

"Ohh..." Eduardo's whole physique seemed to droop at that. He huffed, but straightened himself up and snorted a bit. "I shower then." Wilt shrugged.

"Well, you can always try it..."

Eduardo nodded a bit, then just stood there. He stared at Wilt for a few moments, before coughing. "I uh... I shower now." he said, nodding to Wilt in a 'I'm okay now' kind of way.

"Oh sorry!" Wilt all but yelped and stepped out to give Ed some privacy. "I'll see you in back at the room, I guess."

"Sí, sí." Eduardo nodded. Once Wilt was gone, he turned and walked into a shower stall and pulled the curtain shut. A few moments later his lace up boots, shorts and belt were deposited outside and eventually the shower room was full of steam from the shower, and Eduardo singing, which probably travelled throughout the hallway. 

_"__La donna é mobile  
Qual piuma al vento,  
Muto d'accento - e di pensiero.  
Sempre un'amabile  
Leggiadro viso,  
In pianto o in riso - e mensognero!"_

He wasn't the _best_ singer, but hey. Who doesn't sing in the shower? Down the hallway in the bedroom, Coco is hearing all of this. She looks to Wilt. "Co co, co co coco co?" (so Wilt, where'd you find him?) she asked. Wilt was unlacing his shoes,

"In the dumpster behind the laundrette. He's been out there for days, poor guy." Coco shuffled in her nest a bit, grimacing at the wall, commenting,

"Co coco co co co co coco." (I wonder how he got left behind.)

"Well, I don't really know. He didn't say. But it seems like it wasn't your every day going-their-separate-ways story. I don't think his kid abandoned him, either." Wilt shuffled a bit, but maintained a casual air. Coco looked at him (could it be, knowingly?) for a moment, then turned her gaze to the wall.

"Co coco co cocococo, coco co," she said and Wilt laughed.

"Yes, or his voice just carries really well, Coco." he pushed his shoes under the bed and climbed in.

It wasn't long until Eduardo was pulling his boots back on, lacing them up in the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror - his fur was finally looking a little better. It wasn't as good as it used to be, but at least he wasn't muddy and smelly. Grabbing a left over red brush by another friend he runs it along his head, arms and his chest while he hummed. "Mucho mejor, mejor..." he mumbled, then began brushing his teeth with the little pink toothbrush. That alone took him half an hour, to get all the dirt off his teeth. Eduardo turned on his heels and left the bathroom - by now the moon was out. He glanced at the long hallway ahead of him, the doors and the shadows being cast along the tall hallways. He swallows dryly and begins to walk down the hallway, trying to be quiet. Which is hard when you're as heavy as he was. But he finally made his way to his new bedroom and slowly pushed the door open. "...señor Wilt? ...señorita Coco?" he whispered as best he could, checking if either were asleep yet. Coco was, her eyes shut and genting 'co co'ing in her sleep. Knowing that much he sneaks past her as best he can, back stepping whenever he hit a creaky floorboard. Eduardo almost jumped clear out of his trousers again when he heard a different noise entirely coming at him out of the darkness.

"Hi, Eduardo." Wilt whispered to Ed from his pillow, bent slightly into a Z-shape so that his toes don't touch the headboard. "Don't worry, it's just me. And don't worry about waking up Coco, either. I saw her reading a Dostoyevsky novel before lights out and she always sleeps like a rock after reading Dostoyevsky." he winked even though he knew Eduardo probably couldn't see him doing it in the darkness.

"Oh..." Eduardo glanced at the form of the sleeping Coco, before looking at the top bunk above Wilt. He walks around to the bed end and begins climbing up it as quickly as he can. Once he's up there he slowly eases himself under the blankets - the mattress creaked under his weight as he rolls onto his side. "Buonas noches, Wilt." he says down to Wilt, who turns his face up toward the mattress overhead (now sagging dangerously low) and bids his own goodnight,

"'Night Ed. Pleasant dreams."

Eduardo shuts his eyes, sighing deeply. He hadn't felt quite at home for so long now, and he felt totally content. His forked tail even wagged a bit underneath the shadows.

But unfortunately, the content didn't last very long. He began shifting in his bed at around midnight. His dreams weren't going that well, it had began with him sat in a vast field of flowers. Eduardo plucked various flowers, and began looping them into a little wreath of flowers. Proudly he smiles at his accomplishment and looked around. "...huh?" but his creator isn't with him, he spots her though. She's further away where the field's end, and where a very dark cloud overhangs. "...Carmencita?" he asks, but she doesn't stop. Quickly Eduardo gets to his feet and begins hurrying after her. "Carmencita!" he calls now, but as soon as he leaves the field he's suddenly blinded by two bright eyes glaring down at him. He skids to a halt, covering his eyes at the bright light. It's suddenly raining, and thunder fills the air around him too. But he forces his eyes open, and he sees the shape of Carmencita before him. "Carmencita!" Eduardo reaches out to grab her hand, but then there's a sudden rush of wind and a loud crashing sound. He sees it again, but much more terrifying then before. It was a monster, with huge sharp silver teeth and glowing yellow eyes showing no mercy. Instead of legs and arms it had four black wheels, and the body was a shining striking white colour amidst the blackness of his dreams. He couldn't reach her fast enough, and before he knew it he was screaming in terror not only in his dream, but in the waking world.

Wilt, who hadn't been sleeping very deeply to begin with was jerked so violently into full wakefulness that he actually feel out of his bed. He sat on the floor for a moment, rubbing the side of his jaw that had hit the hard floorboards and wondering what in holy hell happened... within a second, he remembered the scream and immediately looked up. Listening carefully, he could hear soft whimperings coming from the top bunk. From Eduardo. Untangling his long legs from the bed sheets, Wilt stood up. He was just tall enough to see over the edge of the mattress of the top bunk. Taking in the sight of his new roommate shaking violently, concern blazed inside him.

"Oh my gosh, Ed, are you okay? Did you have a bad dream?"

Eduardo didn't answer at first, he trashed his arms a bit. She won't wake up. She's not waking up. In his nightmare he's holding her, suddenly seeing just how small she really is, but she isn't waking up. Not again. His eyes suddenly snap open and he sits upright too quickly. "CARMENCITA!" he screamed, and looked at Wilt. Who was this? Where was he? ...where was Carmencita? Before Wilt knew what hit him, Eduardo had jumped clear from the mattress, his horns catching on the sheet and dragged it with him as he ran crying from the room. All but waking up everyone in the house too, no less, as he crashed the door down and ran down the hallway. None of this made sense to the terror inflicted Eduardo, not yet anyway. It wasn't until he tripped up over the hallway rug and came skidding to a crash at the end of the hallway did his brain finally register where he was. He stayed there, upside down while the lights came on, doors opened and various Imaginary Friends looked out at him. He didn't move. Maybe playing dead was a good option to take right now, since he couldn't die of embarrassment. "...uh oh." is all he can mutter.

Wilt had stood, stunned for a moment in the room before reality snapped back into place and he took off after Eduardo. His long legs carried him quickly and he soon found Eduardo, surrounded by staring friends, tangled in a bed sheet and looking scared and utterly humiliated beyond reason. Wilt did some quick thinking. And strode toward his new roommate, putting on what he hoped was a convincing smile. He fabricated a laugh. "Heh heh, there you are. You know, I don't think you've quite got the hang of this game. See, the ghosts are supposed to chase the living, not the other way round!" he turned to the onlookers "Nothing to see here, just playing a late night round of ghost tag is all!"

At that moment, Mr. Herriman appeared, looking suitably cross in a pyjama robe and carpet slippers. "Master Wilt! There will be no ghost tag during bedtime! And I must say, you are setting a very bad example for a new resident in disobeying the rules! Really, I'd expect you of all people to know better."

Wilt felt a pang of guilt, but shook it off. He had an act to keep up. "Sorry Mr. H! Just can't help myself sometimes!"

With that, Mr. Herriman shepherded everyone back to their rooms. Once they were gone, Wilt dropped the silly charade and turned to Eduardo, "Hey, sorry about that. Are you okay?"

By now Eduardo had the sheet pulled completely over himself. "...I sorry..." was all he could really say now, which he really was. He shivered a bit before slowly lifting the sheet and stared at Wilt's shoes. It was the only part of him he could see from this position after all. "N... nightmare." he managed to add, shaking his head. "Bad bad... very bad nightmare." like it wasn't obvious in how he reacted to waking up so suddenly and running scared like a loon. And everyone saw him, oh man now they'll all think he's a bit scaredy cat, or something! Wilt knelt beside Eduardo at a close, but cautious distance.

"You know what? My first roommate had nightmares every night for a week when his kid brought him here, and I my second one had them, also. Third one, too. They all had nightmares... well, Coco didn't, but I don't know if that counts. She's kind of off in her own little world anyway." Wilt laughed a bit, "But besides her, I think it's only natural to have at least one bad dream your first few nights here. I had them, too."

"You did?" he asked, tilting his head a bit. Knowing this was common made him feel a little bit better. Not by much, but just a little bit.

"Yeah…" Wilt had a feeling that Ed was curious, but he didn't want to dredge anything unsettling up. Eduardo was new. He needed a smiling face and a helping hand, so Wilt just shrugged it off like it was no big deal. "Yeah… but that was a long time ago. Whaddya say we get you back to bed now, okay?"

"S... sí..." the prospect of going back to sleep kind of scared Eduardo, but at least being in a warm bed instead of in an alley way was a much better way to spend the night. Eventually he was back in bed, blankets wrapped around him. But he was on his side, so he could see out the window at the wide world beyond Foster's. He sighed to himself, and rubbed his eyes. After another hour or so, he eventually fell to sleep. Luckily, this time, the nightmares didn't occur again.

To be Continued…


	4. Accidents

**Made for Each Other  
**Co-written with: A'Phrionnsa Fala

**Editors Notes: **You must forgive us if the Spanish is incorrect. isn't known for it's dead on translations. I hope you forgive us.

The following morning Wilt awoke at seven on the dot, as per usual. He climbed down from his bunk, noticing that Coco was blinking into wakefulness, herself. Eduardo, however, was still on his side in the top bunk, rumbling a bit in his sleep. He was almost loathe to wake him up given the events of last night, but Wilt knew he'd probably want breakfast, so he tapped him.

"Hey, Ed?"

The horned friend snorted a bit, his eyes slowly blinking awake. He yawned, very loudly - showing Wilt a lovely close up view of his massive teeth. "Aaahhhh... buenos días Wilt!" he said, grinning at Wilt a bit. He was certainly in better moods, despite the night before. You'd be surprised what a good night sleep does to you.

"Well, it's good to see you smiling!" Wilt matched Eduardo's huge grin with one of his own. He decided not to bring up last night. If Eduardo was happy in his new home at last, he wanted it to stay that way. "Hey, listen, I'm going to go have a shower. Is that okay? You can wash up to, if you want. Breakfasts in half an hour. And man oh MAN is Frankie a good cook. Her omelettes are out of this world!" Eduardo clapped his hoofed hands together.

"Ooo, they sound grande!" he climbed down off the bed quickly - since he washed himself the night before all he had to do was brush his teeth. Coco was awake now, and hopped out of her nest and shook her head a bit.

"Co coco co!" (Good morning boys!) she said to Wilt and Ed,

"Uh, sí. Buenos días, Coco.." Eduardo was still a bit nervous around this weird... bird creature. But not as bad as yesterday. Wilt gave Ed a thumbs up and left the room, calling over his shoulder.

"Be back in a flash!"

Meanwhile, Coco went about straightening the twigs of her nest while Eduardo looked on, unsure what to say or do. She finally looked up at him and commented, "Co coco co cococo." ("I didn't know it was even possible to sing 'Barrie' in F-sharp")

Eduardo blushed a bit at that statement, smiling slightly. "Heh heh... you hear...?" he asked, knowing the answer himself already. He did sing a bit too loud... Coco blinked and simply belted out,

"Cococo! Cococo! Cococooooo" ("Aggadoo, aggadoo, aggadooooooo")

Okay now Eduardo looked down right confused. Part of his unibrow lifted in confinement, but then he walked past her to the door, which was still a bit busted due to his.. rampage. He looked at the door, and made a face, then he watched as a few Imaginary Friends made their way past the door, heading downstairs for breakfast. To say the least some of them glanced at him, and talked to each other about the night before. This caused Ed to pull back into the room and wait until Wilt got back. 

Wilt, meanwhile, was having a quick, efficient shower. He knew it should be silly to worry about shampoo, given that he didn't actually have any hair or fur. Nonetheless, he reached for the bottle of Melon Morning shampoo and gave his head a healthy lather. Shampoo was different than soap. It smelled nice and it wasn't waxy. It left him feeling very clean and refreshed. After he'd thoroughly sudsed up and rinsed, he turned off the water and towelled off. A few swipes of deodorant later, he was heading back to his room. He opened the door to find Eduardo making his bed.

"Hey guys!"

"Welcome back, señor Wilt!" Eduardo greeted him, having just now tucked the blanket under the mattress so it sat nicely. He'd also gone to the extent of doing Wilt's bed as well. "You shower good?" he asked, Wilt definitely smelt squeaky clean now.

"Great, thanks," Wilt noticed that Eduardo had made his bed up, "Oh, thanks so much for doing my bed! That's very nice of you."

"Is least I can do!" he replied, smiling proudly that Wilt approved of his work. "You is being so nice to me, so I do nice for you!" it was perfect logic to Eduardo. Wilt grinned,

"Well, Eduardo, I have a feeling you're going to be very well liked round here." he turned so he could address both Ed and Coco, "Wanna go get some food?"

"Co co co!" Coco replied happily, before dashing from the room. Eduardo walked up to the door, once again looking at how much he'd busted it. He felt still bad about that… soon the trio arrived at the long table in the dining room, where breakfast was being served by a very frantic looking Frankie. The noise and hubbub was usual, but some of it died down once the new arrival walked in. They all remembered the night before, and not knowing the true story some giggled to the other about what happened. Eduardo felt (what seemed like) all the eyes land on him and he stepped backwards behind Wilt, as if the slim body would hide his bulky one. It didn't work too well. Wilt noticed Ed attempting to conceal himself (at least partially) and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Hey come on, it's okay. Want me to sit next to you?"

"Mmm. Sí." Eduardo nodded, and followed at Wilt's heels to the stool that he normally sat on. Already a new seat had been placed at the table for Eduardo and he climbed onto it.

"Hey there big guy!" Frankie walked up, holding a platter full of pancakes, omelettes, and other assorted breakfast goodies. Eduardo smiled a bit mumbling a 'good morning' to her. "You had quite a night last night, so you get an extra helping this morning." she smiled, emptying a mix onto his plate.

"Oh.. muchas gracios." Eduardo smiled nervously.

"You see?" Wilt gave Ed a friendly nudge and turned to her, "Morning, Frankie! Smells great, as always." Frankie gave him a sly smile in return as he gave him a healthy portion of eggs and bacon.

"Thanks, but flattery doesn't wash dishes, Wilt. Lend me a hand after we're done here?"

"Sure thing!" they exchanged a smile and she went on her way. Coco took a seat on the other side of Eduardo for this morning, and breakfast continued on as normal. A few friends even exchanged a few words with Eduardo, welcoming him to the house and wishing him the best for settling in. Eventually they all dispersed to do their own thing, even Coco went off - cocoing about needing to see a chicken about a man. That didn't make much sense to Eduardo so he just waved her off. After the meal, Wilt got up to help Frankie clear the table and noticed Eduardo still sitting,

"Oh hey, listen, I promised Frankie I'd help here with these" he motion to the growing stack of dishes he was balancing on his shoulder with the remains of his left arm "You can just hang out for a bit till I'm done. There's an arcade, a playroom and all sorts of stuff to do, and if you need anything, Frankie and I are in the kitchen. Is that okay?"

Eduardo wasn't too sure about that... but, he'd caused so much trouble for Wilt so far. Being such a bother and all. He nodded, agreeing to the idea. With that he turned and left the room, he paused to admire an entire wall full of photos of Wilt - with various other friends Eduardo didn't know. He tilted his head a bit, shrugged then walked into the massive entranceway once he had headed down the stairs. Wow, this place was even bigger then he thought it was. Yesterday had been such a mess, after all... he hadn't taken in a lot of what he'd seen. But now he was admiring the photos on the walls, of different friends, Madame Foster and Frankie. This really did seem like a nice place to live after all. "Mmm." he smiled to himself.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Wilt was drying dishes and putting them away as Frankie washed them. The two conversed casually about 'the new guy'. Wilt filled her in on everything he'd learned and how he'd found Eduardo. "Wow, alone in the street eh?" She mused aloud. "That sounds familiar." Wilt shuffled a little uncomfortably and she noticed. She gave him an apologetic pat on the arm with a sudsy hand. "Hey, sorry. I just meant you two probably can relate. It sounds like he had a pretty unhappy experience, and I can't think of a better guy to go to when I need a kind word." He grinned back at her in thanks for the compliment and told her about the incident last night. She remarked, "Well, all I can say is, he's very lucky."

"Why?" Wilt was confused. First Frankie had said Ed had had a hard time, she was colouring him fortunate?

"To have you," she replied simply.

Eduardo was just now about to leave the entranceway when the front doors were pushed open. He froze in his place when he saw what it was - a handful of children. They wouldn't be any more then nine years old, a few boys and a little girl. Eduardo blinked a few times, the group were talking amongst themselves first, and they looked a bit nervous to be here. They were probably just checking the place out first, before going back home to tell their parents about it. It didn't take long for the little girl to spot Eduardo, since he kind of stuck out like a sore thumb right there by the wall. The little girl stared at Eduardo for a moment, with large, innocent brown eyes, his massive size taking a moment to fully register. He stared back like a deer in headlights. She opened her mouth to speak, but one of the boys, a short, stocky redhead splattered with freckles beat her to it.

"WHOOOOAHLOOKITTHATONE!" he blurted out, thrusting a finger out in Ed's general direction. Everyone looked. Most of them took a step backward, but a few of the boy's came just a bit closer, ooh-ing and aah-ing appreciatively.

"Duuuude, you're HUGE."

"I bet you can pick up a whole tractor and throw it into the next farm!"

"Aaaawesome, you've got bigger teeth than a T-Rex!"

"Is that skull on your belt reeeal?" They all gushed and gushed till a small voice piped up among them. 

"I think he's cute." The boys all turned to stare at the girl, who smiled at Eduardo and took a step closer to him. "Look at his pretty purple fur!" She stuck out her hand. "Hi! I'm Alex. Wha's your name?" Eduardo smiled at Alex broadly, oh she was such a pretty little thing...

"E-Eduardo! I Eduardo!" he smiled, clasping his hoofs together. He was oh so flattered by all of the attention he was getting, this was the first time since he'd arrived in America had children taken a shine to him this well. It probably helped that he was in a place like this. "And I like your ribbon," he motioned, pointing to the red one in her hair. "Is very pretty." but he blinked a few times, looking at how the boys were looking at him. Uh oh, looks like he's loosing the crowd of boys a bit. He thumped his chest with a fisted hoof. "Sí, sí! I am very strong, muchos MUCHOS strong!" A boy with glasses jumped up and down.

"I bet you can't lift as much as my daaaad! He's the strongest guy on earth!" He was countered by another kid would yelled,

"No, MY dad is the strongest!" The redhead who'd first pointed Eduardo out pointed again.

"I bet you can't lift as much as MY dad!"

"I lift Papa's all the time!" Eduardo countered back with, which was true. He was just a bit confused, of course. He thought they meant lifting Papa's, like he did to help his creator's Papa onto the roof of their old house to fix it when it got damaged. "I lift anything! You watch!" with that he thundered past the children out into the front yard - the children following. "Watch, you see!" he called back to the boys and Alex as he went up to what the closest thing he could see which would show just how strong he was. That tall... very tall... tree. Eduardo spat on his hooves, rubbed them together before he dug them into the bark and heaved. It took a second or two, but he pulled it out of the dirt, roots dangling as he held it by the base in his arms.

Inside, the Imaginary Friends who were near a window gasped in shock, surprise and horror. They could only see the tree begin to bend a bit before growing a bit taller. When they saw who it was, and whom he was with did they panic more. One took to his five feet and rushed off to find Mr. Herrington, who he eventually found in the back. He quickly explained what was happening out front - it looked like the new guy was going to squash some kids with _the_ tree! Oh the horror! The kids, meanwhile, were totally eating it up. The boys applauded and howled praise. Alex however, was quiet. She looked on with wide eyes. She was, of course, amazed by his strength, but she was not impressed. Just as Eduardo was noticing this, he was suddenly assaulted by a thunderous, "MASTER EDUARDO!" Mr. Herriman was loping toward him at top speed, wearing an expression that would have been more at home on the face of Vlad the Impaler. "STOP THIS AT ONCE!" That sent a shock up Eduardo's spine, he'd never heard such a harsh tone before. It did the worst thing you can imagine. It made him scream in reaction, and he even threw the tree up, startled by Mr. Herriman's shouting. The tree sailed upwards into the air - the children scattered. The boys were already loosing respect when they saw this big burly creature like Ed cringe at a _rabbit_, of all things. But once the tree lost his arms - distaste turned to terror. Eduardo didn't see any of this, he saw the tree falling and he threw himself forward and managed to grab it in his hands before it would have come crashing down to the ground. And probably crush a certain brown haired little girl.

The kids all stared. Their wonder and appreciation replaced by terrified awe. The little girl's expression, however, was unchanged. In spite of nearly being crushed by a falling tree, she was looking up at Eduardo, clearly rethinking her first impression. Eduardo barely heard Mr. Herriman telling the kids they'd better go home, now. "Master Eduardo, if you would kindly put that tree down and follow me, please?" Eduardo's lower lip trembled as he watched the children depart, and he dropped the tree like it was a walking cane. His tail was now between his legs as he caught the last glimpse of the children leaving. He watched Alex especially - he thought he'd done really well, really! But... he guessed wrong. Following the rabbit back into the house was probably one of the most embarrassing moments of his life - including last night.

Already talk was going through the house, shocked friends talking about what the new guy did! He could have squashed all the kids! And that tree has been here since forever, how dare he just pull it up like that, like it was a weed? As Wilt was putting the final teacup on the top shelf of the cupboard, he heard Eduardo's name crop up as Jackie Khones and Ringo Rango passed by the kitchen doorway, wrapped up in conversation. Frankie noticed him turning round in concern and she said, "Go ahead, I'll take care of the rest."

He gave her a grateful wave and ran out of the kitchen just in time to see Mr. Herriman leading Eduardo from the from door to the hallway that ended at his office. Wilt stepped out, waving to get their attention. "Mr. H? Sorry, Mr. Herriman? Excuse me?" Mr. Herriman came to a stop, Eduardo so lost in trouble thoughts he almost stepped on his tail but caught himself this time.

"Yes, master Wilt?" he asked, not too happy to have been stopped from doing something very important. Such as teach the new boy a lesson or two about how things worked around here.

"I'm sorry, but what's happened? Is something wrong?" he addressed the rabbit of relevance, then snuck a concerned glance at Eduardo, who was just staring at the floor now, already ashamed of what's about to be said.

"Is there something wrong? By jove, is there anything _right_ my dear boy?" Mr. Herriman said, looking towards the horned individual. "Not only did he put himself in _great_ risk but he also endangered some children who had come to give our dear Foster's a visit! And not only that - but he went so far as to disgrace our beloved tree out yonder!" the rabbit pointed to a nearby window, "I fear it might never recover from being uprooted like a simple weed in a garden!"

Wilt's mouth fell open. He looked at Eduardo, then glanced out the window, feeling a jolt to see that tree he'd come to know so well lying on its side like a fallen soldier. He returned his one-eyed gaze to Eduardo. …but surely there must be some misunderstanding. "Hey Mr. H.? Sorry, but could I possibly take care of this one? Ed's new here and I'm the one helping him settle in. Let me talk to him? Please?"

"I know you mean well but something of _this_ importance needs to be dealt with forthwith! I appreciate your suggestion to help, either way." Mr. Herriman shook his head, before adjusting his monocle. Eduardo just whimpered again, eyes shut. Wilt didn't like to insist or go against rules but something told him that there was definitely something amiss here. He stepped in front of Mr. Herriman, blocking his way.

"Please, Mr. H.? I promise, if there's any real trouble I'll bring him right back. Let me talk to him first?" Mr. Herriman scratched at his chin, glancing from the tall body of Wilt to the slouching Eduardo. He sighed,

"This goes far beyond regulation, but.. since you insist. But no longer then a few minutes! I'm at my wits ends this morning already." Wilt smiled.

"Thanks a lot, Mr. H! You won't regret it!" he turned to Eduardo, trying not to look terribly imposing, even from his great height, "C'mon Ed. We can go talk in our room, okay?"

Eduardo just sniffled and nodded, still looking at the ground. Or by now, Wilt's shoes. He couldn't bring himself to look anyone in the face, much less Wilt. He was lead back through the hallway, up to their room. Coco was luckily still away talking to a duck about a man - possibly - once they got there. Eduardo waits by the door for a moment before hurrying in, tapping his hoofed hands together nervously. This felt even worse then being yelled at by Mr. Herriman, having to explain what a complete idiot he had been to Wilt of all Imaginary Friends on the planet. Wilt closed the door, then had a seat on the lower bunk. He patted the mattress beside him, motioning for Eduardo to sit also. "Okay, Ed. Don't worry, I'm not going to yell at you. I just can't believe you've only been here for a few days and you're in trouble already..." he saw the expression on Ed's face and smiled. "No, really. I really can't believe it. A nice guy like you? There's got to be something off, here. Now what's this all about?" when Eduardo sat besides Wilt the entire mattress groaned and sagged, probably causing Wilt's end to lift a bit. He sighed, before looking at his shoes again.

"I-it all so loco..." he rumbled, "Little children they come, you see? They see me, and all the little boys go 'ooh ahh' like I a Matador or something!" Eduardo tilted his head a bit, looking at the dresser now. "And this little girl, she say she like my purple fur - she like it! ...little boys wanted to see how strong I was." he scratched the side of his head, now looking at the ceiling. He was avoiding looking at Wilt for now, he still felt ashamed of what happened and having to face Wilt to tell him how stupid he was felt awful. "I... I make error grande, I know I know... s-so.. so I show them, how strong I am, si? ...Soy tan estúpido..." Wilt tilted his head to the side, taking all of this in and thinking for a moment.

"I think I get it... The boys wanted to see how strong you were and you got a little carried away." Wilt shrugged, "Not a terribly good idea to go round ripping up trees, but it's nothing to call the cops over. My guess is that some other friends saw what you were doing and it looked dangerous to them because they didn't know the full story. And neither did Mr. Herriman. But everyone gets carried away now and then. He's got to understand that." Wilt noticed how uncomfortable Eduardo looked and scooted a bit closer to him, laying his one hand on the other friend's shoulder. "And hey, you're not stupid. Like I said last night, you can tell me anything. Really, I've been here for so long there's really not much that can happen that I haven't seen before. And I know it sounds crazy, but I think we've got more in common than you think." he dropped his friend a wink. "As sappy as that sounds..." he added hastily, laughing to himself.

"...usted es una buena persona." Eduardo smiled, still hesitant in looking at Wilt. But he did lean into his hand a bit, comforted by that even more then Wilt's words. Very slowly he moved his gaze from the floor to Wilt's face, and smiled slightly. "S-so I no get shipped away or... or something...?" he asked, thinking that's what would happen to him. Like to the bulls on farms, they went to the arena and never came back again. Wilt laughed a bit,

"Ha ha ha, no. The whole reason this place was founded was to take friends in, not send them away! We have to lock up the really nasty ones, but you're no Extreme-A-Saur, trust me on that one." Wilt noticed the slight shift of weight against his palm and felt his heart twang, though only half-heartedly. Normally, he was a bit shy about physical contact, but Eduardo... he couldn't put his finger on it, but Eduardo was different. Even aside from being created to protect and not harm, there was just something about him Wilt felt he could trust. As a slight leap of faith, he lifted his hand in favour of looping his arm round the other friend's shoulders in the butch-friendly manner so oft seen among buddies at the bar. He grinned. "And someone really said she thought your fur was pretty?"

"Sí, sí! Alex, her name. She say her name is Alex." Eduardo nodded eagerly, "She had a red bow in her hair, like a poco ángel." he showed the 'little' in that phrase off by putting his hoofs together. Wilt made the large problem he caused almost melt away from his memory again, like the night previous. He wasn't sure what Wilt's 'label' was, if he was a guardian or not, but he certainly knew what the right thing to say was and when. It clicked that Wilt had his arm around him, and he grinned up at Wilt broadly. "¡Mi amigo!" he declared and actually pulled Wilt's head down so suddenly and planted a hearty kiss on both of his cheeks and hugged him, probably knocking the wind out of him in the process. This was totally normal for Eduardo though, remember. While the guys in the bars in America would one arm hug, the blokes down in Eduardo's hometown of Ecuador would hug and kiss the other as greetings and congratulations. And thanks. In a sudden rush of where about a frillion things happened at once, Wilt found himself being smushed in Eduardo's arms. There were warm spots on his face where he'd just been kissed and he felt himself break out into a mild shiver. That wasn't so bad… issues with physical contact aside. It was a little weird, but Wilt then remembered that Eduardo came from a different culture and probably had his own set of customs. Wilt contented himself with conclusion that this was a gesture of manly affection and just laughed between wheezes, the wind having been knocked out of him. When the other friend's hold on him fell a bit lax, he pulled himself into an upright position and ruffled the fur between Eduardo's horns.

"You see? I told you the kids would love you. And hey, I'm starting to like your fur, too."

"You do?" Eduardo gushed, "Really true?" but before Wilt could answer there was a knock at the door, and the starched voice of Mr. Herriman came wafting into the room as he opened the door.

"Excuse me, master Wilt. But I do believe I need to have a small chat with Eduardo still?" he asked. Wilt calmed his laughter and cleared his throat, turning to face Mr. Herriman,

"Sure thing Mr. H! I think he's ready." Wilt then turned to Ed, "Now, you just tell him everything you told me and it'll work out just fine, And yes, I do like your fur. I've got mad allergies and any fur that doesn't make me sneeze when I'm that close to it is fine by me." Wilt winked and gave Eduardo a little nudge toward the door. "Go on, now and don't worry. It'll all be A-OK!" Eduardo nodded, and disappeared down the hallway after Mr. Herriman and vanished into the office.

To be Continued…


	5. Rescue

**Made for Each Other  
**Co-written with: A'Phrionnsa Fala

And so the weeks continued to march forward. Eduardo and Wilt spent majority of the time together, wether it be washing the dishes to helping Frankie out in any way they could. Course sometimes Eduardo was the _reason_ they were so busy most of the time. Like forgetting his own strength and breaking something or another.

The weather was beginning to darken a bit, clouds over hung in the distance with the promise of rain. It even smelt of rain. Eduardo was sat in the large lounge room, staring out at the clouds - almost daring them to come near the house with the look on his face. He growled lowly at it. He was never comfortable with rain, having been out in a downpour for a week. Lightning and thunder still terrified him, even distant rumblings caused him to pull his blankets tightly around himself and rock back and forth, muttering that he's safe inside.

"Looks like rain," Wilt commented as he strode toward the front door, "Better go out and get the paper before it gets all soggy." with that, he ventured down the walk, leaving the door open, figuring he was going to come right back anyway. When he reached the end of the long walk where the paper was lying innocently close to the curb, he noticed a little girl with brown hair happily skipping along the sidewalk, followed by a woman whom Wilt could only assume was her mum. He lifted his hand to wave at the two of them and little girl stopped, her mouth falling open at the sight of the tall, bright red Imaginary Friend. She let out a bright squeal.

"Look, mummy! I wanna go play with him!" She then let go of her mother's hand and toddled out into the street, paying no heed to the approaching cars. The mother screamed and before he fully understood what was happening, Wilt himself was running out to the little girl, shouting.

"Nonono that's not okay!" in hopes of stopping her before she could be hit. And on came the cars. Many of the drivers, far too occupied with what was on the radio, or that phone call on the mobile, or just down right in a bad driving mood paid no heed at all to the situation. Luckily the little girl's mother saw a break in the traffic, and managed to step forward quickly and grab her daughter back into her arms and off the road. As for Wilt, he's left to the mercy of the drivers, who don't seem to have any at all.

Eduardo was just then beginning to leave the front room when he stopped. His nose flared, sniffing the air and he caught whiff of something a normal friend wouldn't be able to. The smell made his fur stand on end. Something bad was happening, something that a Guardian like himself should be there to be to stop. "...Wilt!" he spun around and ran out the front door, almost tripping over the rug as he went.

Before Wilt could so much as turn round to try and get himself back to safety, one of the cars was upon him, its front, and passenger wheel, swiping his leg. Emitting a broken yelp, Wilt crumbled to street, and pain exploded up his leg. He couldn't move it. Struggling to try and get back to his feet, he happened to glance up and found himself face-to-face with an oncoming SUV. For one dreadful instant, his memory exploded in a blinding flash behind his eye and he could hear his own voice echoing in his mind. 'I'm sorry, Teddy...' It's just then something large, and very bulky leapt in between Wilt and the SUV. It's Eduardo, and the look on his face is most terrifying to behold - his massive teeth bared to their full extent, his eyes narrowed and his horns even seem to be glinting with pure power. He roars loudly before bringing his head down and ran head first at the vehicle. A sickening crunch fills the air, as Eduardo's horns smash into the front of the car and he pulls his head back, taking the SUV with it. He flicks his head, sending the SUV into a full 180-degree spin and lands on its wheels just behind Wilt. The traffic has finally died down by now, the light turning red once more. Eduardo turns around and is quickly at Wilt's side, already pulling him into his arms. He hardly hears the woman or the young girl's calls from across the street - one in alarm, the other asking if Wilt was all right. Eduardo turns and charges back in through the wrought iron gates just as the rain begins to fall and gets Wilt indoors.

Once inside, Wilt began to come back to himself. He vaguely registered the sensation of moving without touching the ground as well as the murmurs of surprise and query from all round. Finally, he processed the soft, furry embrace in which he was being held. He looked blearily round him, familial face swimming into view, then finally up at another, even more familiar face. "Edua-aaah...!" he moaned as the pain in his leg throbbed back into his consciousness. Eduardo's attentions were elsewhere anyway. Wilt vaguely heard him calling out for help.

"Ayuda! Ayuda! Help, HELP por favor!" you could call it calling, I'd call it frantic yelps of terror. Eduardo was partially aware of what he just did, running through oncoming traffic, and sending one flying all in the name of protecting Wilt. But he knew the lanky friend was now injured, and that was a very bad thing. He looked down at Wilt, worry plastered all over his face. "Wilt, señor Wilt please wake up, you is going to be okay, you is!" he reassured him, not sure if he could hear him or not since he didn't hear him before due to his shouting. It didn't take long for Frankie to come into the scene and have Eduardo take Wilt to the infirmary - where they had bandages and what not for when an Imaginary Friend would be hurt. Eduardo sat down on the medical bed, still holding Wilt and kind of refusing to let go of him until he knew he was okay.

"Wilt, hey Wilt?" Frankie was checking first to see if he was at least awake, but she already had a first aid kid in her hands. "Can you hear me? Wilt?"

"Y-yeah ...Frankie. Ed," Wilt replied slowly, quietly, coming out of the haze and riddled with pain. "C-car... that girl...?" Frankie glanced at Eduardo, since he knew better then her what happened out there. She began washing Wilt's injured leg, to warn off any germs to stop it getting infected. Eduardo nodded, petting Wilt's head with one hand while the other one remained around him.

"She is fine - her Mama got her, she is fine." he reassured him, beyond grateful that Wilt was talking. Wilt just sighed. Everything was so distorted in his mind... a child's smile, the mechanical roar of an oncoming vehicle bent on destroying everything in it's path, the impact of not being able to run fast enough to get out of the way ...a blurry portrait of a snowy street in the inner city where the buildings were as tall and grey as fallen gods... a voice calling out to him, "Where are you? Where are you?" and overriding it all, another voice, new and friendly and speaking softly to him, a warm touch warding off the chill of the snow and city... he leaned his head against that warmth, letting the steadfast sound of the beating heart beneath guard him against it all.

"Ed..." he whispered vaguely before passing into darkness. Frankie was quickly filled in from Eduardo - it took a while, he was quite upset when Wilt fell unconscious so quickly.

But eventually Eduardo carried Wilt up into their bedroom and set him on the bed. He even went so far to get one of those foot rests from the lounge, and tucked it at the end of the bed, so Wilt's leg was kept elevated since it was now bandaged by Frankie. He then brought in a stool, set it down besides Wilt bed and sat down on it. He didn't move, let alone blink for the next few hours. Just sitting, and watching over Wilt. His mind was replaying what happened, and he was surprised at himself. After what happened... with Carmencita, he thought he'd never be able to even walk near parked cars without cowering in terror of them. And just hours ago he had run head long into speeding traffic to fend one off, and all for Wilt. Thinking about it, he knew he'd do it again too. In fact, he decided right there that he was still a Guardian Friend. He'd just moved onto guarding Wilt, at least whenever he needed him. Lifting his head he stared out the window - the moon now beginning to show in the night sky. Had so much time passed already? He could barely believe it, and Wilt was still resting. Dinner had come and past, but Eduardo refused to leave the room. Even turned down the food Frankie had brought up to him.

Wilt, meanwhile, was navigating the murky waters of his mind, every once in a while driven to veer off-course by an unpleasant reflection. Eventually, however, he found himself drifting toward a bright light and his eye slowly creaked open to see it. As the real world swam back to him, banishing the shadows back to the corners of his consciousness, he sensed he wasn't alone and slowly swivelled his eye round. Eduardo's massive, violet shape shuddered into clarity and a dopey grin, the likes of which are usually only possible at ungodly hours of the morning, blossomed over Wilt's lips. "...hi."

It took all the energy Eduardo had from not squealing in delight and throwing his arms around the waking Wilt one he heard that one little world. He beamed down at him, leaning forward slightly. "Ah... y... you awake. Bueno... sí, good..." he looked exhausted, felt it, but wasn't going to give into it. Not when the charge he'd been watching all these hours just woke up. Wilt sucked in a huge gulp of oxygen and tried to sit up. He moaned a bit as his leg throbbed in response, more coherent memories coming back him,

"What time is it? How long was I out?"

"Is... is late." Eduardo replied, glancing at the clock across the room. In the darkness he could hardly see the clocks face or hands, but he squinted more. Ah. "Tis half to twelve." he said, and put a hand to Wilt's chest and gently pushed him back. "No no, Frankie says you to stay down."

"Sorry..." Wilt didn't fight the cloven hoof that pressed gently against his chest and let it ease him back onto the bed. "I remember what happened, now. With the car. Then something stopped it... it was you, wasn't it? You saved me. I... thank you, Ed." Wilt tilted his head toward Eduardo, his eye not entirely lucid... Frankie had given him a healthy dose of pain medication. He might not be fully aware of himself, but the honesty was there. "You really are a true Guardian and an even truer friend… your girl was very lucky to have you..." he added, smiling fuzzily. Eduardo smiled a bit, a bit happily, a bit sad. He had the faint appearance of a blush crossing his face at Wilt's kind words, even if they were brought on by medication.

"..s...sí, sí..." he mumbled, before he smoothed out the bed sheet that covered Wilt. Not like he hadn't done that a million times this evening. He sat back, still smiling. "I is glad you is okay, Wilt... you scare me muchos tonight." he shook a hoof at him, almost in a scolding manner but not meaning it. "You never do that again, señor or I get angry. You no want to see me angry."

"Yes, Eddie... my bad," Wilt half said, half sighed "Now if only you could only head butt my leg and flip the pain away." Wilt mused aloud, just as Coco came in, carrying a bunch of grapes in her beak.

"Coco co co! Co co co!" she declared happily.

"MmmgrapesthankyouCoco." Wilt mumbled, offering her the same, medication-fuzzy smile and accepting the offering of fruit. "Hungry..." He murmured, then held out the bunch to Ed, though half of it was already gone. "Want some?"

"...sí, please." Eduardo smiled at Coco in thanks for bringing something up, he did after all miss dinner entirely. He reached out and took the remaining grapes from Wilt's hand.

"Co... co co co co!" Coco voiced her concern for Wilt, saying the entire house was shook up by what happened. Wilt's a very popular guy around the house, having helped bring in over half of the occupants after all. She was just glad to see he was awake, and out of respect she had offered to sleep downstairs. After both of them had thanked Coco for all of her help and she'd left, nest in tow, the two Imaginary Friends began to realise just how late it was. It had been a long day.

After Eduardo had showered and come back into the room slightly damp and smelling of sugary fruit, Wilt smiled up at him. The big friend flicked off the lights, flushing the room with peaceful darkness. As he was passing by Wilt's bunk enroute to his own, Wilt's arm suddenly shot out, his long fingers wrapping round Eduardo's wrist. "Que?" Eduardo stopped, and looked down at Wilt's long fingers wrapped around his small wrist. "Is something wrong?" he asked, concern already welling up in his voice. Maybe the pain medication was wearing off? ...maybe his LEG has fallen off?

Wilt just grinned in the darkness. "Thanks for saving me. You're a great guy, Ed. You're awesome..." he pulled Eduardo's arm a bit closer, laying the cloven hoof over his cheek and nosing into the soft fur of the underside of his wrist, breathing deeply and loving the sweet, freshly-shampooed scent. "You really do have nice fur... everything about you is nice. I like you, Ed. I like you a lot." there was a pause, but it seemed that the medication also warded off awkwardness, for Wilt just kept nuzzling Eduardo's wrist. Then, he lifted his head. "Tired. Bed. 'Night." and with that, he released his friend's hoof, his head hitting the pillow. 

Eduardo could just stand there in the darkness, heart pounding in his chest as well as in his ears. Wait, what was just that? ...did he just say he liked him a lot, and he had nice fur? ...he stared at the sleeping form of Wilt for a moment before looking at his hoofed hand. The one Wilt had graciously nuzzled seconds before. He pulled his hand back, cupping it with the other and staring at it like it had just sprouted a face. Other friends had complimented Eduardo on his fur before, especially the Salon Friends from down the hall. How lush and beautiful it was, how much Brushie would give to brush him. But when Wilt said it… and how he liked him a lot… it sent shivers through him. His heart's beat had quicken too, imitating a butterfly by becoming flightly, free and wild. A massive blush invaded his face too, as he moved his hoofed hand to his mouth, nuzzling at it; Wilt's scent was still on his freshly shampooed wrist and he liked the smell… a small, and shy smile spread across his face as he did. Something suddenly made sense, in the depths of Eduardo's mind. He… liked Wilt, too. But more then just a regular friend. When Wilt wasn't around, Eduardo felt lost, alone. Even if he was with other Friend's. Wilt's presence alone made every situation better, even if it was that of a scary movie on movie night, from something so complex to something so simple. Like eating breakfast together. He… really _really_ liked Wilt. Eduardo didn't even move from that spot for a good few minutes until his body reminded his brain - that was lost in a mess of thoughts - just how tired he was. One big yawn later, Eduardo had made it into his own bed and pulled the covers over himself.

The following morning, Wilt awoke, refreshed. His leg ached, but somehow the morning just made everything look so bright and fresh. He couldn't remember much of what happened yesterday... everything that followed bending over to get the newspaper was a blur. He did remember, however that Ed had been there. Must get round to repaying him for everything in some way... then it hit Wilt that he probably wouldn't be able to do much of anything for a while, given the state of his leg. No basketball for him for a good while... he sighed. Hoo boy...

To be continued


	6. Revelations

**Made for Each Other  
**Co-written with: A'Phrionnsa Fala

**Warnings: **The slash has officially struck home in this chapter. Kissing. But that's all. Just thought I oughta let you guys know.

**Story Notes: **I guess you could call this the conclusion of this chapter of the epic arc of Wilt and Eduardo's relationship. But it certainly isn't the end of these stories, there are many more things these two get up to, so keep an eye out for coming additional stories. Given we have near 500 pages of work between us sitting on my hard drive, you guys will be seeing more of these things for a while to come yet.

FYI these few chapters only touched on 36 full pages of the 500. But later chapters will be getting a heavier rating. 

Mercifully, the time passed fairly swiftly. Eduardo waited on Wilt hoof and foot, taking every measure to ensure him a speedy recovery. And always with that same little smile, that same shy warmth. Wilt found himself growing even fonder of the other friend, his guardian, as the days flew by. Within two and a half weeks, he was nearly able to walk on his own again, though Eduardo ghosted behind him like a puppy, ready to catch him should he fall. It was the mid afternoon, and Eduardo had told Wilt to wait on the couch while he went to get him tea. It was almost four o'clock after all, and like clockwork for the past two weeks he had brought Wilt tea. At first he'd been a tad clumsy, but by now he was carrying the heavily laden tray like a professional. He side swiped from stepping on an Imaginary Friend the size of a mouse back into the lounge, setting it down on the small coffee table. "I bring you usual choice, Wilt!" Eduardo almost sang out as he opened the box, doing to Wilt what he did for him all those weeks back. "Pick and choose!"

"You really don't miss a thing, Ed," Wilt commented, peering into the box. "I'll have the decaf today," he selected a light blue packet from the box. "Herbal's good for aches and pains." as he watched Eduardo go about fixing the tea, he grinned, "It's so cool of you to just take care of everything like this. I swear, I'll make it up to you once this silly leg of mine heals up." he gestured toward the offending limb, still heavily bandaged, but in much better shape than before.

"Oh no be silly!" Eduardo waved a hand in a dismissing way, pouring the hot water into Wilt's cup first. He continued to talk as he added the right amount of sugar, as well as creamer. "No have to pay me back, I like to help you out! Wilt so nice when first I arrive, now has been my time to repay." that and he enjoyed every waking moment being in Wilt's presence, but he wasn't about to say that. He handed him the cup, and began work on his own tea now. "Now is fair." he nodded, tail wagging a bit.

"If you say so." Wilt shrugged accepting the cup and sipping, "But once I'm back on my feet again, we can do all sorts of stuff. I can teach you to play basketball."

They'd watched a lot of that on TV, Wilt cheering on any team he could, showing his love of the game rather then teams. The game had confused Eduardo at first, but soon enough he knew the rules, not by heart, but enough to know what was right and wrong. All the players were so tall - Wilt was definitely built for the game, with his long legs and long arm. Eduardo smiled a bit, "Sí, sí! I learn to play - but I not be as good as you are." he didn't have to guess Wilt would be great on the basketball court. Wilt grinned.

"Ah, I'm not that great. I'm just really tall, so it's kind of hard for me to miss. Actually, I'm probably pretty rusty. I mean, I practice by myself all the time, but I haven't actually played with anyone else since... well, since I came here." a look of nostalgia and sadness flickered behind Wilt's good eye before he shrugged it off. "And you'll be fine! If you can move as fast on the court as you can in front of an oncoming car, you've got nothing to worry. Plus, you've got another arm on me." Wilt winked and sipped his tea.

"I learn, I learn real good." Eduardo persuaded him, nodding. He had learned how to speak English pretty fast after all, and Wilt had helped him learn how to tell the time more properly. But physical sports... eh, he wasn't sure if that was his forte or not. He'd find out soon enough after all. But he had still seen that look on Wilt's face, and he scooted closer just a bit out of concern, but also using the opportunity to move closer too. "Wilt, is you okay?" he asked, concern lining his voice.

The couch seemed to shift beneath Wilt as Eduardo moved closer, stirring his heart to a clipped beat, though he couldn't for the life of him understand why... "Yeah, I'm fine, Ed. I guess I was just thinking about when my little boy taught me how to play basketball. If you don't feel up to it, that's totally okay! I just thought..." he trailed off, uncertain, then shifted gears. "It's so silly," Wilt managed a small little laugh, "When I played with my Teddy, he was so small, I used to lift him up to the basket so he could make a shot. I had two arms back then. I wasn't always like this." he gestured toward the remains of his arm and his face, still maintaining a smile. It was small, but genuine. "Doesn't really matter now. Even if I did have both arms now, I probably couldn't lift you up." Wilt just laughed it off with a short exhalation, "Don't worry about it. It's just silly. It's not your problem."

Eduardo looked at the stub of an arm sadly, his lower lip quivered for a moment. He always felt sorry for Wilt's missing arm, but he never wanted to make it seem like he was feeling _too_ sorry for him. Wilt didn't seem to like that. "...I still think you good how you is now." he said, meaning every word more then Wilt knew. Wilt laughed a bit.

"Thanks, Ed. You know, I'm surprised you weren't scared of me when we first met. Usually people are all freaked out over all these scars. It's not their fault. I mean, it's not every day you see someone with a missing arm and a wonky eye." he shrugged, gesturing toward the mangled eyestalk, which bobbled as he moved his head.

"Yours is sweetest eyes I ever see." Eduardo replied, well before he even realised what his mouth was saying. He stopped, biting his lower lip. Think fast, think fast. "I mean, is.. is good! You.. yes... eye... nice... sí..." he flitted about like a butterfly caught in a crosswind. Plus he was definitely a deeper shade of red and his heart had increased it's speed.

Wilt blinked, amazed. "Um... thanks, Ed." he noticed that Ed was blushing and realized he could feel himself blushing inexplicably as well... he thanks the powers that be for his red colouring and its ability to camouflage a blush. An awkward little laugh tumbled off of his tongue, "Funny to hear that coming from someone with such big, sweet eyes like a puppy. And two of them to boot. You're... really sweet, Eduardo." his hand lifted to grip at his shoulder, a trademark Wilt-gesture of shyness brought on by compliments.

Eduardo actually giggled at his compliment, putting a hand to his mouth. He turned redder, now almost matching skin tone to Wilt's. "You is too kind. Too kind." he mumbled. "You is kind all the time, to everyone, that is meaning muchos to me most for.. for you bestest amigo I have. I have many amigo's before, but you, you is my favouritestest bestest one I am ever having." now he could hardly stop the words falling out of his mouth, so he firmly shut his teeth to stop himself before he said anymore. This had become very embarrassing yet so uplifting. 

Wilt couldn't respond to that. It was all welling up inside him. Everything he'd ever though of himself, everything he'd ever thought that others thought of him, all of it, threatening to spill over. He chanced a glance over at Eduardo and was slightly alarmed at what he saw. Shocked out of any emotion that had threatened to overwhelm him, Wilt placed his hand on his friend's shoulder, he could almost feel the other friend's temperature rising beneath his very palm. "Ed... you're shaking..." he leaned in close, concerned, his voice barely above a whisper, as if he could feel it all pressing down on them "...are you okay?"

This innocent act just made Eduardo shake even worse, he leant slightly (like a fraction of an ich) away from Wilt; his breathing quickening now. It felt like his heart was quite ready to beat itself right out of his chest and all he _could_ do was stare at Wilt like a deer caught in the oncoming headlights of an eighteen wheeler. His voice finally pushed itself up through his throat, but after a lot of struggling. "I... I is... is... I..." his voice, sure, but the words were another story. His voice was shaking as bad as his body was, but suddenly the small fraction of his spine suddenly snapped into position. Eduardo suddenly grabbed Wilt by the shoulders with his hooves. His eyes were wide, realising just what's about to spill out of his mouth and he knows he can't stop it. The words he's wanted to say for the past few weeks, that he had invisioned himself saying under much calmer situation, and probably a different place all together. Too bad he forgot to say them in English. "Usted no ve?" (don't you see?) he asked, almost breath taken already. "¡Te quiero!" he pulled Wilt down suddenly, kissing him. But not on the cheek this time, but fully on the mouth - and this was the first time he'd ever kissed anyone like this. The warmth was overwhelming, and feeling Wilt's lips (even unresponsive) against his own sent sparks up Eduardo's spine. It was amazing. It was better then anything he'd ever felt before. But the nerves slowly dissolved in the heat, and he let go of Wilt - looking shocked at himself. "I, I sorry, I so sorry I.. I... waaagh!" with that he leapt off the back of the couch and took off running. Causing a new hole to take residence in the wall.

As Wilt felt the hooves leave his shoulders, he nearly collapsed on the couch. What...? What had just happened? One minute, he had simply been inquiring as to whether or not his friend was all right, then all of a sudden, he was seized and there was a short chain of Spanish and... Wilt's hand rose of its own volition, fingertips finding his mouth, which still burned with the afters... and he remembered. It was then that realisation bloomed over him like a bloody sunrise, beautiful, blinding and fiery. "Eduardo..." he didn't speak the name... rather, he breathed it softly through his fingers, as if hesitant to let it escape.

Eduardo finally collapsed after running for... almost an entire ten minutes. He didn't even get very far, he had just ran around Foster's. Upstairs, downstairs, outside, inside - causing all kind of havoc since he ground kind of shook when he ran due to his massive size. Breathing heavily, he heaved and wiped his brow - he knew he hadn't escaped anything at all. He'd still done that - that... whoa, that thing that sent shivers up his spine. It was amazing, he couldn't deny himself that. He pushed the door open of his room, gulping audibly, for he knew Wilt would return soon. Eduardo stomped up to the bed, and slowly climbed up to his mattress and pulled the sheets over him despite him sweating up a storm already. Some kind of barrier to help shield himself from the realisation he just totally changed his relationship with Wilt forever. Will he be angry with him? Oh no, what if he asks if he'd get another room entirely? He shuddered under the sheet, terrified of a life knowing Wilt would hate him.

Wilt wasn't sure how long he sat on that couch, utterly lost and unsure what to feel. He eventually ghosted away when a few of the younger friends popped in (through the Eduardo hole, natch) to watch their afternoon kids' TV. Even as he stalked down the halls, he wasn't sure where he was going... he might not know Spanish, but Eduardo's eyes had spoken all he needed to know... his eyes and his mouth. Wilt found his hand rising to his lips again, disbelief and amazement still sparking hotly from them. Eduardo had... Eduardo was... Eduardo l-... Wilt was jolted out of his fugue when he realised where his feet had carried him. He was now standing in front of the door to their room. Knowing he couldn't hide from this, he lifted his shaking hand and rapped on the wood of the door very carefully, as if it might shatter.

"H… hola…" Eduardo heard himself answer, not moving an inch from under the bed sheet. He had heard the familiar squeaking of Wilt's sneaker's slowly approaching the door, plus the strides matched what he knew to be Wilt's injured footfalls. Taking a deep breath, Wilt turned the knob and slipped into the room. The only source of light was Eduardo's nightlight, burning in the far corner, and he could only just make out Eduardo's huge shape in the top bunk. Steadying himself in more ways than one, Wilt hobbled over to the bunks. Careful of his leg, he stepped onto the bottom bunk so that he could rest his elbow and arm stump on Eduardo's mattress.

"Um, Ed?" he ventured at last, hoping he didn't sound as shaky as he felt, "About what happened downstairs... is… is there something you wanted to say to me?" he edged closer, straining to see in the darkness, hoping he'd catch the glint of an eye, or... something. "You know you can tell me anything."

"S-sí.. I.. I know that..." Eduardo muffled back, feeling much hotter now. The combination of his running around, with the blanket, and knowing Wilt was mere inches away from him… it made it all the more stuffier under the sheet. Sighing, he slowly pulled it down inch by inch until he saw Wilt's face. He gripped the blanket, and froze up once more, unsure of what to say or do. His mind raced through the possibilities – all of them ridiculous. His eyes shut tightly. "I sorry Wilt, I no mean to... to be like... like..." oh great, his words were being lost again. "You... you just... I mean... you..." he swallowed dryly, opening his eyes to look into Wilt's one good eye sadly. "...señor Wilt, yoouu..." he dragged the words over his tongue. "...I-I... really _really_ like you." the word 'love' had been used before, but now he realised that word was very strong. Too strong. Too quick. After all, Wilt had only told him mere weeks ago he really liked him, he hadn't jumped into it with the 'love' word like he had.

Wilt was silent for a moment and both of them could feel the proverbial wheels, turning. The darkness seeming to churn round them... finally, like a light bulb stuttering to life, Wilt spoke. "I... I don't know what to say. If you're saying what I think you're saying..." he swallowed, "I'm sorry. It's just... no one has ever said anything like that to me before." he took a moment to breath, then screwed up his courage. "If it's okay to ask... what brought this on? I mean... what made you feel this way... about me?" 

Eduardo's eyes lowered a bit, and he forced himself to breath since he realised he'd been holding his breath throughout Wilt's words. "Is... is hard to point out... but... but after accident..." he pulled the blanket closer to himself a bit, eyes shutting. Why did he have to be so afraid to say what he wanted, he didn't know, he was just glad Wilt had learnt to deal with him like this. When no one else hadn't. "A.. after my wash, you... you grab my hand, say you like my fur." his eyes slowly opened, his gaze drifting to look at Wilt but he quickly looked away again, blushing madly. "...and that you really like me. But before that, I… I feel happy with you, more happy then before ever... I... I see that... that brought on this..." but it was a million other things as well as that. Wilt had been the one to find him, the one who stuck with him even when he made so many mistakes and got told off. When he was afraid of the dark it was Wilt who had gone to find a night light for him. It was always Wilt who had been there for him, and that meant the world to Eduardo. Wilt _meant_ the world to him. He just couldn't say it. Not yet. One day, but right now he was tongue-tied.

Wilt blinked, confused. "I don't remember ever saying that..."

Eduardo almost felt his heart smash into pieces - he could have broken down in a torrent of tears nothing would have stopped. Did you just imagine that he said it? Maybe he didn't mean it and he just never told you so. The one you care about so much doesn't feel the same way. Feeling the hurt wafting off of his friend in waves, Wilt panicked. "Oh no, I didn't mean it like that! It must've been the pain medication messing with me or something. I _really_ like your fur." to prove it, he slid his hand under the blanket and ran his fingers through the fur of Eduardo's shoulder, taking a moment to marvel at how soft it really was "I... I do like it." he took a deep breath, feeling truth boiling behind the raging self-consciousness. He spoke quietly, truthfully, his hand still moving over the soft fur. "And I do like _you_, Ed. I like you a lot."

Feeling Wilt's only hand moving through his fur sent shock waves up Eduardo's spine. He shivered against it, his eyes slowly shutting and a smile dragged itself across his face. Why bother hiding it now, how big a smile Wilt's touch and presence alone could bring wash itself on his features. He'd hidden it with a shy one for so long… so why hide it now? Wilt made him feel... happy. Overly happy. The kind of happy that made him feel like he could explode, then reform and do it all over again just for the thrill of it. And all for Wilt. Without knowing it one of his hoofed hands placed itself on Wilt's hand, holding it gently. "I is grateful..." he whispered deeply. "So... so much..."

Wilt felt his heart bounce as Eduardo covered his hand with his cloven hoof. It was all so much... days ago, he'd have happily vied to remain physically distant from everyone forever. However, now that all of this had been turned upside down and tossed out of the window, he found himself utterly breathless at it all. He knew there would still be issues that were bound to come up. Some scars never healed, after all. However, what he was feeling now was terrifying, overwhelming and ungodly beautiful. In what could only be described as a leap of faith, he used the remains of his other arm to brace himself a little higher up on the bed. He felt an aura of disappointment roll off of Eduardo when he slid his hand from underneath the other friend's hoof. However, before Eduardo could blink, that hand found the side of his face and Wilt was leaning in closer, closer, till he had touched Ed's lips gently with his own.

Eduardo's eyes, that were already the size of dinner plates, almost doubled in size. This was the last thing he suspected, but while his brain was now burning with a million thoughts at once, one of his arms worked itself around Wilt's thin body to hold onto him. Holding onto the moment for as long as he could, and he kissed him back. Not as harshly as he had downstairs, that one had been so abrupt. This one... this time, he could feel that warmth fill him from the feet up. Or was it from his head down? It was hard to tell, because this had to be one of the most beautiful moments in all his life. But far too quickly he realised he had to breath, but breathing meant he had to release one of his holds on Wilt - the one he especially didn't want to. Very slowly, very slightly he stopped but didn't pull back or move away. Was he panting? It was hard to hear, his heart was once again beating so loud it almost drowned every other sound out. Wilt felt Eduardo slowly break away, his breathing once again having grown short. Wilt realised he, himself was a bit short of breath and also, he was trembling slightly. Had he actually just done that? Where had that courage come from? Was it too fast? Too soon? Wilt swallowed carefully, willing the shivers not to find their way into his voice. "I-I'm sorry, Ed... was that okay?"

"El sorprender... maravilloso..." Eduardo mumbled, slightly amazed he could have found his voice so quickly. The hot sensation still lingered on his lips, and it was fuelling the fire demon that had apparently moved into his stomach. He almost felt drunk, even if he'd never gotten drunk before.

In spite of it all, Wilt felt a little laugh bubbling out him. He'd have to add a Spanish-to-English dictionary to Frankie's next grocery list. "If you say so, Ed." Wilt said, grinning uncontrollably. Eduardo suddenly reddened, almost matching Wilt's colour scheme with his face. The fire demon had let butterflies in, and was busy trying to catch them with a net but it wasn't working too well.

"Sorry... I... I forget..." he apologised, he knew Wilt didn't know that many Spanish words. He'd have to teach him some. "...oh!" he just now realised Wilt was still standing while he was still in bed, like a lazy bump on a log being sat on by a frog. "I sorry Wilt I... you want me to bring you up or.. or I sit down?"

Wilt felt his heart fluttering like a humming bird. He laughed a bit to himself again, the mirth rising with his unseen blush. "Whatever you want, Ed. It's up to you. Only... I don't know if I can get up to your bunk. This leg has a ways to go yet." he managed to add.

"I help you, I help you good!" Ed gushed, and sure enough he did. He sat up - pushing the blanket off of himself and actually pulled Wilt up into his arms. Very easily, given his strength combined with how light Wilt actually is. Soon enough Wilt found himself sat on the top bunk besides Eduardo. Wilt just sat there for a moment, happily stunned. Finally cracking into about his frillionth nervous chuckle that night, he stretched out his legs - biting back a yelp at the twinge of pain in his injured leg - and reclined. He was smiling, waiting. Eduardo joined him in the nervous chuckling, tapping his hoofed hands together. He wasn't sure what to say now, or what to do exactly.

"Uhmmm..." what to do what to do... He coughed, then nervously put one of his arms around Wilt - not sure his reaction would be, of course. They might have just kissed like something out of an old movie, but this... well, old movies rarely showed what happened after the kissing. They always faded out to black. Wilt sighed gently, though his heart was still pounding fit to burst. The more he thought on it, the more he came to realise that he didn't trust people touching him because trust had hurt him before... Eduardo, however, was a Guardian Friend. He would never hurt Wilt and he watched over him, ensuring that harm never came to him. Never again. The tall Imaginary Friend tentatively looped his long arm round the other friend, also unsure how to proceed... he only knew that he could not remember feeling safer, more secure, in years. The horned Guardian sighed, almost heavenly before he leant a bit against Wilt. "I is so happy, Wilt..." he said, his tail thumping away at the mattress like a dog. He could slightly sense Wilt's nerves, and he didn't like knowing he felt nervous around him for any reason. "You is okay, sí?" he asked, raising his unibrow a bit. Wilt shifted just a bit in the bigger friend's arms so he could speak to him face-to-face.

"You know Ed, I'm not sure how I am right now… sorry, this is really new for me. Whatever it is, though, it's definitely not bad." he smiled, shifting his hand so that he could pat Eduardo's back, loving the feeling of the soft fur between his fingers.

"Is not bad?" Eduardo asked, smiling brightly. At least he didn't say it was awful, he's grateful for that much. He tilted his head a bit though, looking at Wilt quietly for a while. "...this no fast, is it?" he asked, finding it hard to really ask the question. Wilt just laid his head against Eduardo's own and the other friend could feel his mouth curving into a smile against his cheek.

"I'm not worried about it." he spoke quietly, letting his arm tighten a bit round Eduardo's massive middle, "I do know that I'm very happy tonight happened. Sorry, sorry, I'm going to get a little sappy, but I'd go so far as to say that I'm really happy to have you. I hope that's okay with you?"

"Sí, sí." Eduardo nodded a bit, "I happy you so happy with me, is time I make you as happy as you make me all this time." he concluded, given it made perfect sense to him. He didn't care how sappy Wilt would sound - he didn't know the meaning of the word, literally - as long as he was with Wilt, everything would be great. That was the long and short of it.

"Thank you, Ed. Really, thank you." Wilt breathed contentedly against Eduardo, feeling somehow sure of it all, of himself despite all of the uncertainty hurling itself round them. He nuzzled against Eduardo. "Good night," the words left him on a sigh and within moments, he was fast asleep. Eduardo watched him fall asleep quietly, before he lay back down himself slowly. He wrapped his arms around Wilt protectively, pulling him slightly onto him since the mattress was somewhat small for the two to fit at once. But with some moves on Eduardo's behalf, they fit. He pulled the bedsheet over himself and Wilt and shut his eyes - eventually drifting off himself into quite possibly one of the most pleasant sleeps he'd ever had.

**The end of Seeking Shelter**


End file.
